It's not just the big-name console games that are cashing advertising revenue checks. Casual games, the kind you play at work when you're avoiding deadlines, are also seeing an influx of ad dollars. Almost 66 million people played some form of online game in December of last year alone, and those games are more popular overall with women than men. Since these games have broad appeal they're perfect for advertisers looking for a mass audience. Some companies, such as Big Fish, are even letting people choose which sponsor they see for a portion of their game-play time. This sort of sponsored placement within existing games is separate from corporately created advergames, where the marketer creates a game specifically to promote a certain product or brand.
